Durmstrang's Viper
by Van Arat
Summary: Response to Blackest Grim's 'German Harry Challenge' AU Viper Riddle knows he's special. He knows the Dark Lord is going to try something this year, and he knows a lot of other things. But, he doesn't know who he is.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anyone of its characters. However, any of the characters you don't recognize (there aren't any in this chapter) are of my creation.

Author's Notes: Right. This is a response to Blackest Grim's 'German Harry Challenge.' So… yeah. Anyway, I have no idea when I'm going to update this, so please be patient, after all! Patience is a virtue! Guh, anyway, review if you like it and even if you don't. Please?

**Durmstrang's Viper  
****By Van Arat**

**Prologue**

A two-year-old Harry Potter blinked sleepily at his uncle as the whale of a man threw a tiny, dark gray bag at his feet. He recognized the bag as the same one his aunt had shoved a single change of clothes into a few hours ago. The small child stood stiffly in a poorly lit corner of his family's living room, half hidden by shadows that threw his malnourished body into sharp relief. His jewel-like eyes had a glazed, detached shade to them that haunted his aunt, reminding her of his mother and her muggle friend who had been driven insane by a group of wizards only three years before, driving her to the point where she demanded that Harry be removed from her _normal_ household. His uncle had quickly agreed, justifying the demand even more by saying that they didn't deserve having to raise such a _freak_, that they were _normal, good_ people and that they certainly didn't want their wonderful son to get infected with Harry's abnormality. So, not even a week later, here he was, waiting in a corner for his uncle to finish dinner. He had never been out of the house before, he realized blankly. His thoughts turned away from his family and drifted to what the world outside of the house was like.

He smiled.

His aunt had chosen that moment to glance over and, with memories of her friend's empty, crazed face flashing in her minds, she screamed. His uncle and cousin jerked away from her at the sound. His uncle's plate, filled with his second helping of dinner, was knocked to the floor and is contents splattered across the unnaturally clean floor, staining the pale beige carpet a dust red. His uncle stared at the food in shock briefly before he snapped his head towards his wife. He narrowed his eyes and followed her gaze. His face turned a dark purple in rage as his eyes landed on his nephew. He jumped to his feet and stormed across the room with a speed that beseeched his stature. The obese man curled his fist and struck the boy, sending him to the floor with enough force to jar his already injured shoulder. Harry cried out, tears forming in his eyes and streaming down his cheeks.

He whimpered as his uncle grabbed the collar of his shirt and jerked him up, seemingly not noticing the boy's tears or the pain he was in. He dragged him to the entrance hall and slammed Harry into the little alcove next to the door. He unlocked the door and grabbed his nephew again, pushing him out the door and towards the car. He paused to unlock the backseat door before tossing Harry into the car. The boy didn't move until he heard his uncle lock the car door.

He blinked slowly at his uncle but said nothing as the obese man turned on his heel and went back into the house, slamming the door behind him. He folded his feet under himself and settled against the set to wait, for what he really wasn't sure. But he would wait; it was all he could do anyway.

Slowly, his eye lids began to grow heavy. The sun had already dropped behind the horizon, leaving the street lambs to light the world around him. He watched the closest one flicker unsteadily, the light disappearing sooner and staying away longer each time it flickered. He shifted as sleep claimed him. And as the savior of the Wizarding World slept in his uncle's car so did the people who had vowed to protect him, tucked tightly into their warm beds. However, their sleep was tainted with cold, death green eyes, serpents and graves stained in blood. As they and their savior slept, he was lost and forgotten by all.

The flickering street lamp that had watched him sleep flickered one last time before going out like a candle in a closed room. Silent, painfully and all alone.


	2. Chapter One

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anyone of its characters. However, any of the characters you don't recognize are of my creation.

Author's Notes: Hmm… What to say. Well for starters, thank you for your vote of confidence Grim! I'm not sure how constant my updatings are going to be (ha, I repeat myself) so yeah. Should be more constant than my updating for _Little Things_ (is it wrong to advertise my other fic… thing? Hmm… maybe my next vignette can be a Tom-centric…) which is good. Yeah, moving on to the real reason you're here.

**Durmstrang's Viper  
****By Van Arat**

**Chapter One: Viper**

Six Years Later  
Cole Orphanage,  
German Branch

"_Come on, Celence! It'll be fun!"_ Celence stared at her young master, annoyed that he felt the need to interrupt her sleep, which she claimed needed since it was cold, just for his little prank that he decided he need her help with. Apart of her felt warmed by her little master's request, she knew he just wanted company because of what this day was the anniversary of and she was happy that he had chosen her company over that of the other human children that ran amuck in this _pathetic _excuse of a place to grow up. The serpent knew her young master would need human companions eventually, but for now, she hoped that she was enough to quell any uncertainties leftover from the time before she met her little master. He claimed not to remember that time but she knew differently. If he didn't remember than he would be so uncomfortable with being touched, least of all by herself.

The small black snake sighed. She truly did hope that her young master would be ready for when he needed to find a more permanent companion. But he was still very young, even by her own serpentine standards; he had time to prepare for when he needed to find someone to have hatchlings with. Celence merely wished to live to see that day.

Damn, she was starting to sound old. At this rate she would start talking like her mother before she even mated! As much as Celence loved her mother, she didn't want to _sound_ like her.

'After all, in the words of my mother's master "One Nagini is enough. We don't need another."' The snake chuckled to herself in the way snakes do. Her young master was going on and on about bits of his prank in hopes of convincing her to help him, even though he knew she would anyway. He would present an idea for a prank then ask for her help and she would agree under the context that she was only helping to keep him from getting caught. They both knew that was a load of shit. If there was one thing her little master was good at, it was not getting caught. 'A true Slytherin, just like mother's master.' A serpentine smiled crossed her face. Her young master blinked.

"_Celence?"_

"_I shall help you, little master."_

"_One of these days you're going to have to stop calling me that. I won't be 'little' forever."_

"_I know, lit – Master Viper."_

"_Ugh, just call me Viper. Master Viper makes me sound old and wrinkly like some old man that sits in a tower and moves people around like pawns. It's **creepy**."_ Her young master laughed. She slithered onto his shoulders after he gave her something of a hug. Her warmed feeling from earlier increased. Yes, her young master would be ready and she would be there to take a chunk out of anyone who tried to force him into going back into the arms of his fears, whatever they were. Even if it meant going against her mother.

But for now, she was content with helping her master prank those around him.

Four Months Later  
Third Floor, First Door on the Left,  
Same Location

The clock ticked. It ticked and ticked and ticked till Viper was sure he was going to go insane. And _then_, it ticked some more. Normally, he would be fast asleep, free form the ticking of that infernal clock but not tonight. Because tonight, he would turn eight. Viper had never bothered to stay up for his other birthdays before, but this was different. Turning eight meant something more, even though is probably shouldn't have. He grinned to himself. Maybe instead of making him insane, the ticking of clock would drive him to sanity. He snickered loudly. No one woke up.

Turning eight was like… finding the road to infinity for him. After all, if you turn the number onto its side you get the symbol for infinity, so maybe the way he felt made sense. He was starting on his road to infinity. Viper bit back a laugh that was sure to be loud and more than a little insane in its nature.

'Eight and infinity. Infinity and eight. Sounds like fun…'

In the end, he slept through his first few hours of being eight despite his best efforts.


End file.
